Magical Venice, yesterday and today

Let's discover an antique and lively Venice, a part of the town that acts as a filterbetweenits twogreatest districts (Sestieri), CannaregioandCastello.The name of the first probably derivesfromthe CanalRegio (Royal Canal),namegiven to thecanal that runs throughthe districtfromSan Giobbe to SanGeremiaand links thelagoonwith the Grand Canal. That is a fascinatinginterpretationbut more likelythe namecomes from the alterationof the ancientCannarecium, aplace wherereeds (canne) grewinlarge quantities.The train stationofSaint Lucia, as it was built on the area of a church with that name (then suppressedby the Napoleonic edictsof 1806), has thenumber 1 ofthe district.The second, the Castello district, wasone of thefirst inhabited areasof the city (V-VI century); it takes its namefrom the castlethatonce stood there, with the function ofdefenceagainst attacksfrom the sea. In the Castello district stands the impressiveArsenale building, for centuriesthe largest factoryin the world.

What we proposeisamagical journeythat will make you protagonists of thediscoveryofunexpected views, lights, flavours and sounds, true sensations, accompaniedby the craftsmen who continuetraditions handed downfrom generation to generation...andyou will really feelliketime has neverpassed!

It iseasy to find thefamous Ponte di Rialto: it isthe oldest bridgethat connects the twobanks of theGrand Canal. It probablydates back to 1172, built inwood.In 1557 the Venetian Republic announced a competitiontorebuild it instone.Among the competing architects were Palladio and Sanmicheli. The tender was awardedto theprotoAntonioda Ponteandin 1591the bridgewas opened(in 2012 it underwentthe most recent intervention by the Tajapiera, the stone cutters of Confartigianato Venezia). From Campo San Bartolomeo, a famous gathering placeof the city, in which a monument toCarloGoldoni stands, by passing through a picturesqueporch(Sotoportego de laBissa), you will reach Campo San Lioandthenyour senses will be captured by the homonymousSalizada(street),so alivewith typical shops, sounds, colours and flavours. Here,at number5765, just a few steps away from Calledel Paradiso, you can havea firstexhaustive glimpse of it: Scriba is a workshop that originated from the long experience and manual dexterity ofits ownerGiuseppeFerlito. Scribalooks like awindow onto the past,through whichthe charm ofancient writingand the art ofbookbinding can be rediscovered. This shop is an attractionforcalligraphy lovers, collectors or simply curious people that will be tempted by theamazingcreations; itoffers a widechoiceof exclusivelyhand-made, unique and highquality products. With your mindstillin the past,turn right ontoCalle delleBande to visit Itaca Art Studio. Itis not easyto succeed in depicting views of Venice with an original approach, butMonicaMartin, famous internationalartist, does it thanks tothe slighttouch ofironythat givesher work anunusualliveliness. The viewsofthe city,the abstract gondolas, the warm coloursidentify Monica asone of the most peculiar artistsof theVenetian area.

After crossing a small bridge, you arrive inCampo Santa Maria Formosa: the homonymous churchthatdominates the square, which was rebuilt upon a design byMauroCodussiin the secondhalf of the fifteenthcentury. Ithas aBaroque bell towerand twomain facades. Inside there arepaintingsof the school ofG.Bellini,atriptychbyB.Vivariniand a beautifulaltarpiece byJ.Palmathe Elder, whichportraysSaintBarbara, patroness of the Scuola deiBombardieri, a confraternity and school of artillery that was at the time located next to the church. In the same square you should visit the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, the house-museum of the Querini-Stampalia family,which housesa library, aremarkablearchive and acollection of paintingsand furniturefrom the sixteenthcentury.The Foundation islocatedinabeautiful Renaissance palace. The Picture Gallery that belongedto the CountQuerini-Stampalia consists in numerous halls with paintings byVenetian authors of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth century, including major workssuch as thePresentazione al Tempio (Presentation in the Temple)by G.Bellini.The renovationof the palace’s ground floorand the garden was designed by the famous architectCarloScarpa,who worked therefrom 1959 to1963. If you cross thesquareinthe direction of Campo Santa Marina, you can satisfy yoursense of taste there: after walking around in Venice you will surely be a bit hungry, therefore the Pasticceria (pastry shop) Italo Didovichisthe best thatyou canencounter.For forty yearsItaloandLauraDidovich have been running this strictly artisan pastry shop. Hereyou can enjoytraditional Venetian andAustro-Hungarian sweets, either at the counter or in the comfortable dining room, as well as in the smallterrace, which overlooks thesquare (a priceless view on sunny days). Stop byfor a typicalVenetian aperitif drink, theSpritz(accompanied by delicious sandwichesor smallpizzas), while at lunch time the small kitchen offersamenu of simple and familiar tastes, to eat in or take-out.Duringtraditional feaststhe windowsare filled with typical sweets of the Venetian tradition.While restoring your body and mind,you will have timeto discover thatin ancient times a churchstoodin the place of CampoSantaMarina: you can still seethebaseof the tower,which overlooks the small square with the same name.In front of thepastry shop, until a few yearsago,there was amarble carver’sworkshopwhereCanova had worked.

By taking CalleScaleta you will reachCortede laSpechiera:at number6010you will havethe privilege ofentering the Atelier Flavia, createdin 1980byFlaviaZorzo.Here, in additionto the famousmasks of theCommedia dell'Arte, allhandmade inpapier-mâchéaccording to the ancienttraditions of the Venetian mascareri,youcan find newmaskstrimmedwith feathers,lace and Muranopearls,combined with thegorgeous costumesmade by handfor theCarnival of Venice, or for specialoccasions such asweddings, birthdays and masqueradeballs.Each costume (availablein different sizesfor men, womenand children)faithfully reproducesthe style of the historical period it represents (1500, 1700, 1800), in the colours,fabrics, decorationsand accessories. It is an authentic leap into the past, the result of rigoroushistorical research andattention to detail. Once immersed in the Venice of the past, why not dive into in the atmosphereof the traditionalCommedia dell'Arte? You just need to cross a small bridgeand you will beat the Teatro Malibran, a realarchitectural gem, a theatre well known forits operasbetweentheseventeenth and eighteenthcentury, when itwas known as theTeatroSanGiovanni Grisostomo. Designed byTommasiBezzi upon requestof theGrimanibrothers, it was inauguratedduring the Carnivalof 1678.Immediately itbecamethe largest, most luxurious andmost extravagantVenetianstage, thanks to the sumptuousoperasthereinarranged, performed by the best singers at that time. In 1737, whenCarloGoldoniwas placedat thedirection of this Venetianstage, proseworks as well began to be represented(among themweremanyof his plays). The currenttheatre wascompletelyrestoredin 1992by the City ofVenice.

Still notsatisfiedwith the beauty ofthis timeless partof Venice? Here'sone lastprecious jewel: go across a bridge anda street, and here'sthe magicalCampiello dei Miracoli.It is common belief that around 1400 anextraordinary event occurred there: a sacred imageof the Madonnainan altar was seen crying. For this reason thechurch of SantaMariaFormosa (which we firstvisited) was built thanks to the offerings of the Venetians. From here,looking up, you will lose yourself in the beautifulpolychromemarbleof the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a perfect and completeexampleof Renaissance architecture in Venice. Designed byPietroLombardo, it was begun in 1481and completedin 1489; the whole project, from the construction to the decoration,is the workof a single artistand his workshop. Very small compared tootherVenetian churches, it is a real treasure trove, anobjectoftotal decoration: coloured marbles, sculptures, reliefs of exceptional workmanshipadornevery corner,inside and out, withan absolutelyastounding result.The interiorhasa single nave and presents, above the main entrance, the raised choir of theFranciscan nunsofSantaChiara. Both theceilingof the choir and the vault are decoratedwithgilded coffers; inside the fiftysquares are small panel paintingsin thestyleof Titian,executedin the early yearsof the sixteenthcentury.

After such a unique historical tale, it is worth it to end your little journeyin the laboratoryAntichità (antiques) LachininCalleGiacintoGallinaat number5401/D. Here, for over twenty years, the young craftsmanMarcoLachin has been dealing withrestoration of furnitureof anyage: he carries out restorationswithtraditional techniques and materials,withaminimum useofmechanical instruments. In addition to visitingtherestoration workshop, you canbuy antique and modern items andfurniture,withparticular attention to Murano Glass chandeliers, vases, sculpturesand various other objects: a shopfull of exquisite Venetian charm.